Fire kindling method



P 68 w. s. SAMPSON, JR.. m ET AL 3,402,029

FIRE KINDLING METHOD Filed Dec. 12, 1966 INVENTORS F I G 5 WILLIAM S. SAMPSON JR. III

- JOE A. ULIBARRI JOHN A. WASON ATTORN EYS United States Patent T 3,402,029 FIRE KINDLING METHOD William S. Sampson, Jr., III, Joe A. Uliharri, and John A.

Watson, Grand Junction, Colo., assignors to Ute Mountain Supply Company, Grand Junction, Colo., a corporation of Colorado Filed Dec. 12, 1966, Ser. No. 601,076 1 Claim. (Cl. 44-39) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A fire kindling device comprising a metal alloy of misch metal and magnesium.

The present invention is an alloyed composition of misch metal and magnesium. The misch metal supplies the spark 'for the ignition and combustion of the magnesium. To ignite the magnesium, the relatively soft metallic stick is scraped with a knife blade, thereby forming an amount of small shavings. The metallic stick is then struck with a blow causing a generated spark to ignite the shavings.- The burning magnesium, which is in the temperature range of 2800 F., releases a substantial quantity of heat and will kindle almost any type of burnable material, including wet wood.

In comparing the present invention with fire starting devices of the prior art, the numerous advantages are readily apparent. The heat energy contained in the present device is highly concentrated com-pared with that of the various hydro-carbon type fire starting fluids or solids. The present device is the size of a short pencil and contains energy equivalent to many gallons of kerosene.

Safety and stick matches carried in the pocket of the user can be accidentically ignited by a small amount of friction. However, by reason of the high kindling temperature of magnesium, it is essentially impossible to accidentally ignite the present device in its solid form. Moisture has no effect upon the ability of the metallic ignitor to produce a spark or combust. The device can actually be immersed in water immediately prior to use without drying.

It is, therefore, the principal object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved fire starting device for campers and the like.

A second object of the invention is to provide a fire starter composed of a highly exothermic metal alloy.

Another object of the invention is to provide a fire starter which is self-igniting.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a fire starter which has a very high concentration of heat energy.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide a fire starter which is unaffected by moisture or temperature and completely safe from accidental ignition.

Further objects of the invention are to provide a fire starter which is inexpensive, rugged and handy to use.

Other objects will be in part pointed out specifically hereinafter in connection with the description of the drawings that follows and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the present invention illustrating its method of use with a common knife blade;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view thereof;

FIGURE 3 is an end view of a modified cross sectional shape thereof;

FIGURE 4 is an end view of a further modified cross sectional shape thereof; and

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of a still further modified form of the present invention illustrating a handle attached to the end thereof.

3,402,029 Patented Sept. 17, 1968 Referring now to the drawings fora detailed description of the invention and, more specifically, to FIGURE 1, a fire starting device is shown and generally identified by reference numeral 10. The metallic stick 10 provides both the ignition spark and a combustible material.

The composition of the stick is a metallic alloy containing varied percentages of misch metal and magnesium. The misch metal, which provides the sparking properties of the alloy, basically comprises the rare earth metals of cerium, lanthanum and praseodymium. Misch metal is a common alloy with its most well known usage being in cigarette lighter fiints.

Magnesium is a highly exothermic metal which combusts with oxygen to form magnesium oxide in the following exothermic reaction:

Mg+ /2O MgO 143,940 cal/mole at 25 C.

This reaction, which burns with a dazzling white flame, produces a substantial amount of heat in the temperature range of 2700 C. to 2900 C. A 1 gram-atom of magnesium and V; gram-mole of molecular oxygen will react in the above equation to release approximately 144,000 calories in forming 1 mole of magnesium oxide. By reason of the great amount of heat energy released, only a very small amount of magnesium is need to kindle a fire.

The magnesium percentage of the alloy can vary from 50% down to .5% and still adequately combust the shavings 12. Compositions of 2% to 20% magnesium and to 98% misch metal have been found to have the most desirable properties. Misch metal percentages over 98% give hardness properties to the alloy which are undesirable. The ideal hardness of the alloy would be in the range of a No. 2 to No. 3 hardness on the MOHs scale. An example would be soft aluminum whereby a sharp knife blade can easily draw shavings therefrom. When the hardness reaches the above-mentioned degree, the shavings become very difficult to cut and will usually ignite as they are cut. If the misch metal percentage of the alloy is less than 50%, it is difiicult to strike a spark. A desirable balance of percentages provides a stick 10 that can be easily shaved without preigniting the shavings 12 having adequate sparking ability and sulficient magnesium for an adequate amount of heat energy.

The operation or method of use of the present invention entails holding the metallic stick 10 in one hand and a pocket knife 14 in the other. With a scraping action of the blade 16, as seen in FIGURE 1, shavings 12 are collected on the substance 18 which is to be ignited. For example, the substance 18 could be wet or dry wood in any form. The substance 18 could actually be any material capable of combustion with a lower kindling temperature than 2800 C. Once the shavings 12 have been cut and collected on the substance to be kindled, the stick is struck with a glancing blow with the same knife edge 16. The stick 10 and knife edge must be held in such a manner that the spark created by the blow is directed into the shavings 12. Although magnesium in solid form is very difficult to ignite, the shavings 12 will be easily ignited by a struck spark. The shape of the stick 10 can be rectangular, as shown in FIGURE 1, or other cross sectional shapes such as 10a and 10b illustrated in FIGURES 3 and 4. Actually, the alloy does not have to be formed in a stick shape as shown in the drawings, but can be of any configuration.

In FIGURES 1 and 2, the stick 10 is shown with a hole 20 in the end thereof to facilitate an ordinary key chain 22. FIGURE 5 illustrates a modified form of the stick 10c whereby a handle 24 is attached to the end thereof for easier handling.

It is understood that variations from the form of this invention disclosed herein may be made without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and that the A u drawings and'specification are to be considered as merely" References Cited ilhifiiairlgemrather than limiting. UNITED STATES PATENTS 1. The method of kindling fires and the like with a 11 Hu r 75-152 rod of misch metal-magnesium alloy which includes the 5 1,006,849 1 /1911 Hofmann 75-152 steps of: Re. 5,558 4/1964 Bungardt 75-152 shaving the surface of said rod with an object having a greater hardness to produce particles of a fine FOREIGN PATENTS size there-from; 2,876 10/ 1910* Great Britain.

gathering said particles in close proximity to the com- 10 567,445 2/ 1945 Great Britain.

bustible material to be kindled;

stiking the remainder of the rod with said object in a PATRICK P. GARVIN, Primary Examiner.

manner to generate sparks therefrom directed onto the fine particles previously produced until the latter CARL DEBS Assistant Examine" ignites. l5 

